Car-brake



(NoModerl.) W. M HENDERSON.

Car Brake. No. 232,030. Patented Sept. 7,1880.

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NAPETERS, FHOTOMTMOGRAPHER, WASMINGTQNy D c.

UNTTan STATES PATENT @Fincas WILLIAM M. HENDERSON, OF PHILADELPHIA,PENNSYLVANIA.

CAR-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 232,030, datedSeptemben'?, 1880.

Application filed May 31, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM M. HENDER- SON, of Philadelphia,Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inPower-Brakes for Railway-Cars; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description ot' the same, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a longitudinalside view of my improved braking apparatus as applied to a railroadfcar.Fig. 2 is a plan view ot' the same; and Figs. 3 and 4 are enlarged viewsof the device employed for equalizing and distributing the braking-forcethroughout the several cars composing a train.

This invention is intended as an improve ment upon that class ot'car-brakes which are operated by means of a continuous rod or rods whichrun throughout the several lengths of the cars and are complete betweenthem, such braking apparatus being defective in this particular: Therods being continuous, and therefore rigid under tension from end toend, are incapable ot' applying an equal force to the several brakes, itbein g impracticable to so ad- `just the brake-shoes the lengths of theseveral rods, the pins, levers, or the coupling'connections between theseveral cars, that they shall all go on or oft' alike, or that theycould b'e maintained in such precise condition in the working of atra-in of cars, even where the cars remain unchanged, and less so in thecase of coupling up new cars.

In Fig. l T 'Il are t-he two trucks of a railroad-car, line A B denotingthe floor-line of the body of the car. Each truck is provided with theusual braking mechanism, which is too well known to require description.The brake-levers L L are severally connected to freely-movin gbrake-rods It Rf, or to the cages, as shown in Figs. l and 2 in dottedlines, one placed on the right and the other on the left hand side ot'the car. These two rods run from end to end of the car, and connect toothers similarly situated on the adjoining cars by the coupling-chains CC hooking into eyes (52 C3.

H H are two horizontal levers, forming a parallelogram with the tworodslR It. These levers have an extended arm, as shown, for

connecting, by the chains Z Z', with the usual h an d-brake attachment.

N N are the brake-wheel ratchets. The fulcruin-centers of these levers HH are connected by a rod, F. Near cach brake-lever L L the brake-rods ItR are cut in two, and springs P Il are interposed in cages, interrupting the continuity of the brake-rods.

It will be observed from the construction explained that the wholesystem of rods and levers is capable of free movement. Being connectedto the brake-levers, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and to each otherthroughout the entire length ot' the train, and force beingapplied,either at the locomotive or at some other place on the forwardpart of the train, to draw the rod It' to the right or forward, strainis put upon the brakes through the interposed springs throughout thewhole train. Nor need this tension be remitted in order to release thetrain. It may be taken oft' from the whole train by drawing the rod R tothe right through the connection C, or it may be taken from anyparticular car by the handlever and ratchet. It is immaterial,therefore, whether the brakes` are applied directly by tension orindirectly by a reverse movement-fi. e., by releasing the force whichholds them off-thc action ot' the springs will equalize the brakingforce on all the brake-beams throughout the several cars, for as thebrakerods R R are not rigidly connected to each other or to the otherpart of the brakerod running in the same line under the cars, or to theother rods ruiming along under the other cars, which are similarlytreated, the springs are unlimited in their action, and have as muchcontrol over the most dis tant brakes as over the nearest, and nosinglebrakebeam can be applied before another. Attempting to do this causesone to become at once an abutment for transferring the surplus force tothe others requiring it. WithV out some such transferring device itisplainly impossible to so arrange, adjust, and connect the several rodsnecessary to convey the power throughout the length of a train ot' carseach to the other and to the brake-levers as that they shall go ontogether with the same effect, and unless theT do such brakes could notbe maintained on a railroad. The brakes being under pressure of thatforce necessary to apply them, if the brake-rod R is pulled to theright, the operation is teY relieve the brakes by compression of thesprings and to apply them when released, and if the same rod is pulledto the left the tendency of the spring is to apply the brakes undertension and release them When there is no tension on the rods.

To make the action upon the brakes the same, whichever end of the carcomes forward to be coupled up, it is plain that if this car (shown inFig. 2) is turned end for end c3 will come where c is, and pulls in thesame direction and with precisely the same effect. Suppose the brakes tohave been applied by a continuous force, drawing R to the right by thechain C', and the pull from the locomotive or otherwise to be on C, theeffect is to compress `spring P. The reaction of the spring' pulls onthe long length of rod R and withdraws the brakes by the action ofthelever L and rod G `on the two brake-beams l) and D', the force of thesprings being calculated to have power enough to apply the brakes whenreleased.

Obviously the levers L Lv being connected, as

shown in Figs. 1 and 2, to the cages would not materially change themode of operation i or effect.

`apart by rods, as shown.

From It the tensile force is transmitted by lever H to spring P', andthrough it to the rod R', which will operate lever L and itscorresponding brake. At the same time the pull is going on throughoutthe length of the rod It, and is communicated to all the other rods ronthat side of the train, operating the several brakes in the same manneras dinst described.

The brake-rods may be operated by any suitable mechanism, such as aspecial steam-cylinder attached to the locomotive and under the con trolof the driver.

Stops S S are secured to and near each end of the main brake-rods,inside the cross-timbers of the body of the car, having rubber cushionsK K to limit the pull on the brakerods in such case as a train breakingin two.

The ypins which secure the coupling-chains to the ends of the brake-rodsare purposely made weaker than any other part subjected to thepulling-strain, to give way in such event, saving the other parts frominjury.

Fig. 3 shows the form of cage employed for holding the springs, and Fig.4 shows the cage complete with spring in position. The cage is composedsimply of two plates, E E, held F is a washer secured to the end of onesection of brake-rod, the spring being embraced between this washer andplate E.

To take up the lost motion and to adjust the length of the mainbrake-rods to make a proper connection between the cars, the adj ustingscrews X X are provided, or turn-buckles may be introduced on thelength of the rods R R for the same purpose.

In making up a train the hand-brakes are used to extend the brake-rodsto facilitate coupling up, but the hand-brakes must always be off whenthe train is in motion.

It will be observed that when cars fitted with. this improved brake are'disconnected from the train the hand-braking apparatus can be used tooperate the brakes in the same manner as when connected to the engine.

I am aware that the use of continuous rods and other similar coupledconnections to apply brakes on railroad-cars directly by tension andindirectly by a reverse movement have been repeatedly suggested, andthat springs of various forms have been proposed, both to apply thebrakes when released and also to relieve them under the same conditions,such springs being invariably placed outside the main brakerods, whichcould not produce, either by themselves or in combination with a rigidrod, an equalizing effect on the several brake-beams, and I disclaim theuse of any suoli rods or springs in this connection.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination of the braking mechanism of a railroad-car with thebrake-rods R R', the continuity of which is interrupted by springs l)P', or their equivalents, said rods extending the entire length of thecar and being provided at their ends with means for connection with likerods on contiguous cars, thereby communicating an equal motion to thebrakerods of a train ofcars, substantially in the inanner set forth.

2. The combination of the brake-rods R It', provided with interposedsprings, with the levers H H, describing a connected parallelogram, saidrods and levers being connected with the ordinary braking mechanism andoperating substantially as and for the purpose represented.

3. The right Iand left elastic brake-rods, R It', arranged in relationto each other and to the levers and brake mechanism, and adapted to movefreely on the car, substantially as described, and connected to thelevers and brakemechanism, whereby the brakeshoes are operated by theirjoint action inthe same direction by tension applied from either end ofthe car, substantiallyin the manner and by the means described.

4. The elastic brake-rods RR and levers H Hf, in combination with thehand brake-operating mechanism of a railroad-car, substantiall y asherein set forth.

5. In combination with the sliding rods and the levers, in describedrelation to the brake mechanism, the stops on said rods, with or withoutthe elastic pads on the frame, substantially as described.

WILLIAM M. HENDERSON.

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